Which Witch Was Which?
by Dr. Mini me
Summary: "Sometimes I feel like I'm drowning." I sighed. He was quiet for a beat, "..and the other times?" It was dark out here as I sighed even harder, "Other times I feel like I might actually be psychic." (Jasper/OC)
1. Chapter 1

Sometimes...I just know things. I don't know how, or why but I do. Like I knew Jessica Stanley's name before she'd ever said hello in the 9th grade, I knew that there was something familiar about Jasper Cullen before I'd ever met him. I know how weird that sounds, trust me, I know. I knew how unsettling it was to walk up to the new girl and she said hello before she'd ever turned around to see you.

Stuff like that was fun and interesting when you were five but the older I got, the weirder people thought it was. So, after I hit 13 I just stopped mentioning things I knew and I bit my tongue when I knew someone was lying to me.

My name is Naoma Gray, I've lived with my mother for all 16 years of my life and so far thats been great...ish. It wasn't so great right after my dad died but it's had it's good parts like anything else.

"Naomi? You in there, girly?" Angela Weber poked my arm repeatedly at I stared out the window. The sounds of the cafeteria resumed around me as I realised I'd just zoned out.

"Yeah, sorry." I laughed lightly, looking back at her.

"Dreaming about the Cullens again?" She raised a brow suggestively, making me roll my eyes.

"I'm going to have to go with no on that one." I snorted. They'd gotten here yesterday and it seemed like that was all anyone could talk about.

"Aw, come on. They're mysterious, right up your alley." She grinned.

"Right, because I'm just _so_ mysterious." I rolled my eyes even harder this time, pretty soon they were just going to dislodge and fall out of my head...I'd deserve that.

"More like you're the only person in this tiny town that could figure them out, but I see your point." Angela's grin lessened but it was still prominent on her face.

"I guess..." I paused, thinking about the next class. "we should probably get going." I sighed, bell was about to ring soon and I had a feeling that I'd be late to history if I didn't leave now.

"Can't argue with the Gray-sense." Angela snorted, standing as well. I smiled back at her nickname for my freakishness. I think Angie was the only person that wasn't so creeped out by me that she actually liked hanging around me. That might just be because she was an outcast too though, she was too shy to be popular like Jessica or Lauren.

* * *

I settled into my seat in the back with a comfortable amount of time before class started, I devolved back into day-dreaming. I was considering life in the Civil war and so far it felt like it'd be dirty, hard, and dangerous. Shitty, basically. I liked life these days, considering I'd have likely been burned at the stake if I was born any earlier than the 21st century and I'm kinda pushing it even these days.

I froze, an odd feeling of cold drifting over my body as I realised Jasper Hales had sat down next to me. Great. He was unnerving in the weirdest ways, I could only get a read on him sometimes and I didn't really enjoy that. He'd only been here since Monday...which was yesterday.

"Miss Gray." I supposed this was his way of greeting me and to be fair this was the closest I'd ever actually been to the guy since the Cullen's little fashion runway entrance into the cafeteria yesterday.

"Mr Cullen." I intoned, avoiding eye contact. I had a feeling that wasn't his name but...appearances needed to be kept so I didn't become a total social outcast. Well, its not that I mind being one but I'd rather not end up like my relative in Salem...hanging isn't my dream death.

"Jasper Hales." Mr Woods called my seatmate's name as he took roll. I glanced at him for a second, noting his features. His hair was curly and a mixture of honey and a dirty blonde but the darker tones contrasted angrily with his stark white skin.

"Present." His voice was gravelly, like he didn't speak much but it had a certain accent I couldn't place.

It registered that he sort of shook his head from the corner of my eye but I ignored it, like I hadn't seen anything at all and focused on scribbling nonsense in my notebook. Again, I just want to make it out of high-school without being put on trial for modern-day witchcraft.

My eyes darted across his figure, muscular but lean. He dressed a little too well for high-school which screamed he wasn't really 16...but I wasn't about to make a big deal out of that. I couldn't quite tell from here but it seemed like he had a few crescent scars scattered around his neck and arms. Was he depressed? It didn't feel like he was.

"Naoma Gray." I forced my curiosity down and focused back on Mr Woods as he called my name.

"Present." I responded loudly from my back-corner. Usually no one sat near me but I guess this was my lucky day? Ish?

* * *

"Hi, Angie." I called with my head in my locker as she approached my back. I glanced over my shoulder for a quick second to confirm and smiled to myself, right on point, Naomi.

"I'll never know how you do that." She snorted lightly, almost skipping up to me.

"I'll never know either." I grinned, pulling out my chemistry lab manual and shoving it into my worn backpack. This thing had seen better days, rips littered the sides and bottom with the odd bleach stain from when I tried to wash it in 9th grade.

"How was Woods?" She raised a brow as we walked down the hallway together. She had a physics class in building four too, so we usually walked together which was nice.

"Boring as ever, we finally got past the UK colonizing everything though so maybe next class we'll hit the civil war. Who knows?" I snorted, pushing the heavy metal doors open to the outside.

"Good to know you guys are just as off schedule as we are." She smiled as we made it past the crowded door way. I was always worried that one day I'd get smacked in the face by someone trying to come in as I was trying to get out of here.

"Right?" Gravel crunched under my boots as I took a short cut across the outsides of the parking lot to avoid the crowds of students trying to get to their next afternoon class on time.

"Did you get any of the Cullens in your class?" She wondered with a cheeky grin.

"Yeah. Jasper." I sighed, looking back at the wet ground.

"Whats he like? Did you guys get to talk at all?" Angela's questioning was quicker, I guessed she was more interested in the Cullens than I was.

"Silent. We said each other's last-names before class started then nothing else, Ange." I snorted, shaking my head at her antics.

"Well thats boring. I didn't get anyone in my class." She pouted. I pulled the door for building four open for her and waited as some kids left the building before we could get in.

"I mean...we can switch spots, oh wait. I hate government so no, we can't." I giggled as her expression of glee fell to depression in seconds.

"Fine fine. See ya after school." She waved as she hurried to her classroom. Mine was only a few feet away but hers was down the hall and then some. She'd make it on time, I had a feeling and those were almost always right.


	2. Chapter 2

_**MM: Hi!**_ _ **Thanks for reading and coming back to me with that feedback, it was encouraging! :) A lot of things in this work will be more subtle in the characters talking and acting than explicitly said by me. As for seriousness, I have no idea. I welcome all critiques that will help me work on this writing!**_

 _ **Pr1nc3ss K3nny: I think all of your comments will be answered below! Most of what I do (excluding the obvious misspelled words or a random letter where there shouldn't be), is on purpose. I hope you enjoy this chapter!**_

* * *

School couldn't end fast enough, I got to deal with another one of the Cullen clan in Chemistry and boy did she not like me. I could feel the spoiled distaste and anger roll off her in waves from across the room. At the beginning of the class, I'd just taken my own little seat in the back...like always, but then Rosalie...Hale appeared? I'm going with Hale.

She stomped in on her high heels and took a good long stare at me, correction...she took a good long _glare_ at me. Like, how dare I take her seat when the back row was _obviously_ supposed to be her seat?

I made eye contact with her just long enough to get my sass across with a raised eyebrow and turned my eyes back down to the notebook in front of me. Her attitude was not my problem. I got that she was pretty, breath-taking even, but I needed to sit in the back. No one else liked sitting near me because I'd call them out if I felt like they were cheating off of me or lying about cheating to me.

I just don't have a whole lot of patience and today it felt like I couldn't get away from people who were trying my patience.

I was currently in English after rushing from Miss Road keeping us late...and guess who else was too?

Jasper Hales.

He'd taken the next to last empty seat in the back which meant I now had to choose between being near everyone and dealing with all that or being in the back-row like usual and dealing with the cold from him.

I meandered my way through the desks, trying my best to ignore the slow smile on his face as I almost tripped over the rogue backpacks on the floor. I was huffing a just a bit after I'd finally thrown myself into my seat thanks to running across the school's grounds. Who ever designed this place and decided we needed to walk outside to get to classes was on something when they decided that.

"Road keep you later than usual, Miss Gray?" His voice was deep enough to not garner the attention of Mike Newton and Tyler Crowley who were sitting in front of us.

"Take a guess." I cut my eyes to him, noting the dark gold tones in his irises and pulled my jacket closer to my shoulders.

I had to assume logically that his sister had told him but then I wondered how exactly she would have when she got out of the same class I did at the same time and I _just_ made it here. It felt more like he known I would be late before school even started but...that was more my gig right?

"Jasper Hales." Mr Elliott was already calling role which dragged my attention away from the odd ball next to me. Instead I was more worried that my name had already been called.

"Mike Newton." I glanced at the kid in front of Jasper and watched as he jolted awake for a second just to respond.

"Here, teach!" Mike waved sleepily.

"Ever read Romeo and Juliet?" The same deep voice drifted across my ears, making my focus back on it's pale owner again.

"Yeah." I responded curtly.

"Kinda sad, right?" He was trying to make conversation, that much I got but...I didn't get _why_. Why would he want to talk to the girl that every one gossiped about when she slipped up and said something she shouldn't have been able to know about? The weird girl whose mom was able to pull out the exact herb you needed before you'd even asked her?

"Yeah, I guess. Two lovers that shouldn't be together...sounds like almost every other Shakespeare romance." I shrugged, giving into him a little. I didn't need to be a total bitch about this, I could have a little conversation with him.

"And Naoma Gray?" I looked back at Mr Elliott who was watching me expectantly.

"Here." I called from the back, a bit of relief that he'd been nice enough to call my name again. I knew I missed it the first time around, I could feel it.

"So, is it Naoma, or Naomi?" Jasper was chatting me up again, making me snort. Again with the knowing more than he should.

"Its officially Naoma, Naomi is a nickname because Naoma sounds like Glaucoma." I retorted with some mirth at his question. Naoma had been popular like a century ago but according to my mom, thats why she liked it. She loved old things, well she loved the history of old things.

"Sorry, I was just wonderin'. Teachers here keep messing up my name." He nodded slowly, his eyes seemed to check around my person. I watched them jump from my slightly damp hair to my eyes.

"Oh yeah?" I responded distantly, eyeing him.

"Yeah, Its actually Jasper Hale but they keep callin' me Hales." He shrugged, leaning back into his desk and opening the brand-new notebook on his desk. It was the same one that he'd had in History and nothing had been written in it from what I could tell.

"Right." I stared back at my own notebook, trying to effectively end this conversation.

* * *

I walked home down main-street considering what I needed to do when I got home, Chemistry lab needed to be filled in, first 3 pages of Romeo and Juliet needed to be read, and I had a feeling I needed to pay heavy attention to the chapter in History because we had a pop quiz Friday.

I couldn't shake off the thought of Jasper though, how he knew more then he should...it was unsettling. Not necessarily a bad unsettling just...surprising. He felt like a surprise toy in the bottom of a cereal box that you didn't see before, but familiar at the same time.

I was puzzled. Flummoxed. Confused.

I didn't like that and I guess I got how other people felt about me now.

I trudged up the road to my house, it was a guesthouse. A B&B when we had the occasional guest. Most kids called it the Ghost-house when Halloween rolled around but it was home nonetheless. I'd gotten over the teasing and the nicknames when I was 14, my mom and dad had loved this place and picked it out before I was ever born.

From the outside it looked intimate and cozy to me. The rectangular house had been built with red bricks and had intricate sandstone swirls on the corners near the grey roof tiles. Large, octagon windows added to the overall symmetrical look of the house. In the back there was a window seat that overlooked the back garden which was perfect to sit in when it was rainy or sunny.

The house still had the old-fashioned kitchen it was built with but we'd updated one of the bathrooms on the first floor, it also had a cozy living room, four bedrooms, a large dining room that sported breakfast in the mornings when we had a guest, a lounge area which had a lot of our indoor plants and a large pantry.

The second floor was the same size as the first, but part of it hung over the edge of the floor below, creating an overhang on one side and a balcony on the other. My room had the balcony while my mothers had the overhang which suited her fine.

The roof was high, and triangular, but one side is longer than the other which added to the quirkiness of my home. One large chimney sat at the side of the house, puffing out clouds which told me my mother was home and had started a fire already making me want to get out of the cold already. The several long, thin windows usually let in plenty of light to the rooms below the roof but they were covered with curtains currently.

The house itself was surrounded by my mother's garden, with various flowers, herbs, and vegetables. Those were our main source of income as my mom generally worked out of the house unless she needed to make a delivery to someone who couldn't come in. Forks is small enough that she could do that for her customers and many of them swore by her instead of the local hospital.

She was an all natural sort of person, she liked growing things herself and sold a good bit of essential oils, teas, and produce to people in town. It made our family ever so slightly unpopular with skeptical hospital staff, which was fair. Amelia Gray was a lot of things, but a fake or money maker wasn't one of them. She'd always told people to go to the hospital for anything serious, not that people always listened to her...

"Hi honey!" I'd only just pushed the front door open when my mother called from somewhere inside the house, making me smile. I mean this is where I get it from, shes the source, and her mom before her, and then her mom's mom...you get the gist.

I wandered into the kitchen to find a pot of tea already made for me, just cool enough to drink without scalding my taste buds off. Fiddling around in the cabinets, I found my favourite blue cup and poured myself some of the tea that mom had made earlier.


	3. Chapter 3

**_MM:_** _ **Hiya! I'm glad it flows better! The house description was a little over the top, I'll admit. I got excited LOL, however there are parts of it that will likely be used a tool later on. I do use British spelling so be on the look out for a rogue U occasionally :) Good guess on her powers! We'll see if you're right in time (I'm expanding as I go and I use a lot of spiritual elements such as astral projection that may not carry over if she's ever turned). Also, never worry about rambling. I ramble almost all the time as you can see from above! I'm glad you enjoyed it and I hope you'll like this chapter too!**_

 ** _Pr1nc3ss K3nny:_** ** _I'm glad you liked it and I addressed your comments!_**

* * *

 _"Jasper! Do you even hear yourself anymore?" Her voice was shrill forcing me to stop moving for a second. I blinked a couple of times, noting that I was watching Rosalie Cullen lose her shit with Jasper, there were others in the room but they didn't speak._

 _'This is weird.' I was whispering to myself and it seemed like no one else heard me. I peered around, it looked like we were in a dining room...maybe their dining room? I eyed the others, an older blonde man, a woman next to him with caramel hair, the big guy...Emmett. The copper haired kid, Edward I want to say, and a small spindly looking girl with spiked hair. She was frowning. I could only conjure up Mary for her name but I didn't really know who she was. Edward was frowning too._

 _"Rose..." I looked back at Jasper Hale, running his hand through his hair. I supposed I was in the Cullen home, gross. Why was I here?_

 _"What? What now? She falls head over heels and lives happily ever after?" She was still screeching._

 _'Jesus Christ.' I muttered, taking a few steps to the left to spy into the kitchen. It was absolutely pristine except for a shattered window, a small circle was missing and seemed to be the cause of the broken glass. Sometimes I was a little too curious for my own good._

 _"I don't know, alright? I was just curious. I wanted to know more." Jasper groaned, forcing me to look back out of curiosity. I didn't know what they were arguing about but it looked kinda serious. Or they were just a dramatic crew...which I could see happening considering the level of vanity that they all seemed to have with their perfected looks, even at home. People were supposed to be sloppy at home. Whats the point of going home otherwise?_

 _"Well thats fantastic! She can j-" Rosalie was screeching again but she was cut off._

 _"SHH, hush. Everyone, hush." I stared at Edward as he looked puzzled and alarmed._

 _"What is it son?" The older man spoke now...Carl maybe? Everything was hazy when this kind of thing happened to me._

 _"Theres...someone else here." He was close to whispering now, staring almost dead at me. Oh jeez. Panic mode. WAKE UP, NAOMI. WA-_

"WAKE UP!" I shot up in my own bed, screaming at myself before I realised I was okay. I flipped on the lamp next to my bed, trying to calm myself down from panicking. No one could ever _tell_ I was there. They shouldn't be able too. Maybe he was just as sensitive to others as I was?

"Sweetie?" My mother busted through my door within a few seconds after I shut myself up looking worried.

"Sorry! Sorry. Weird uh...weird dream." I muttered, scratching the top of my head.

"Want to talk about it?" She sat down on my bed in her pajamas, watching my expression carefully.

"I think I was eavesdropping again." I sighed, laying back into my bed again.

"On who?" She raised a brow. She didn't approve and neither did I, it felt bad. You're not supposed to be able to see others when they can't see you.

"The Cullens? The new kids in school." I declared and waited for her to process that. I was really my mother's daughter thanks to this curse she passed down to me. I didn't know much about my dad considering he hadn't be around long enough for me to get to know him but thats just how death works. It takes people away when they're ready and even when they're not ready.

"Why?" Her head tilted slightly as she watched me.

"I don't really know...I met Jasper yesterday, but we talked for like maybe a minute total." I pursed my lips together as I stated my evidence of why it just didn't make any sense.

"Do you think you might like this Jasper?" She was patient with me despite it being sometime in the middle of the night. I thought about that for a second and quickly shook my head.

"No way. Again, I talked to him for like a minute. Total. As in the entire day." I snorted, still shaking my head.

"Well...when I met your dad, I _really_ did not like him. Not one bit. But then I kept finding myself meeting him, thinking about him, dreaming about him..." She trailed off, looking at my closet then back at me.

"I know I know, fate and all that jazz but I really haven't even had enough time to _not_ like him. I don't really _know_ him." I frowned at her as she nodded, taking in what I said.

"Theres got to be a reason, Naoma," She smiled softly at me as she patted my knee "you think on it and lets try to get some sleep." She stood, heading towards my bedroom door.

"Sorry I woke you up, mom." I called to her, I felt bad for it.

"Don't worry about that, I just wanted to make sure you weren't...having any bad dreams about bad people." She looked up at the ceiling as she thought on it, trying to find the right words I guess.

"I don't have those anymore." I smiled at her, trying to send out waves of reassurance rather than any hesitance in my voice.

"Alright. I love you." She nodded, heading down the hallway to her room.

"Love you too." I murmured to her, staring up at the ceiling.

I'd had a string of so-called bad dreams when I was younger, it was thanks to one kid that had moved to Forks in 7th grade. Nathan King. He wasn't really okay in the brain and he was always hanging around me, talking about the things he wanted to do to the kids at school. They weren't good things and he relished every fantasy, but he talked about them so much and he loved the idea so much that those were all I could dream about. I was around him almost all the time.

Those things were all I could think about when I was around him and when I wasn't, his fantasies would practically rush me if I didn't concentrate on ignoring him. Angela and I lost contact around then, I'd essentially fallen into the bad crowd and I didn't like it.

* * *

The morning was a haze and I didn't check in much with my surroundings, only greeting people that approached me. I stood in line, staring at an orange that was probably a little too old to be out here but I had a feeling the lunch people didn't care enough to quality check the fruit.

"Hi Angela." I greeted my friend with a small smile, looking over my shoulder to greet her.

"Hiya, sorry to say this but you...look like shit." She gave me a sorry smile as I shrugged it off.

"I know." I snorted, turning back to the meager pickings for lunch.

"How was your study hall for a morning?" I sighed, picking up my tray and following her to our usual table by the windows.

"Interesting...I got to see the allusive Edward Cullen up close for a good while." She winked at me, forcing a roll of my eyes.

"How was that?" I turned my attention to my plate of chicken and rice, poking the poultry to see what poked back.

"Not that interesting. He stared out the window for the whole time, sometimes he smiled at nothing but he mainly just stared out of it." She sounded a little down from the lack of entertainment. I was almost done with hearing and seeing the Cullens. The door opened and I didn't need to turn around to know that those who shall not be named just entered the room, as if the sudden silence didn't tell me already.

"You'll never guess who just wal-" Angela started as I huffed.

"The Cullens." I determined with little mirth.

"You know, your sixth sense kinda sucks out all the fun of a surprise." Angela sighed, poking at her own bagged lunch of pasta salad.

"Sorry." I snorted, electing to scoop up some rice.

"Can't you just turn it off for a little bit? Your birthday is coming up soon and I won't be able to actually _surprise_ you." She put her elbow on the table and leaned on her open palm, watching me.

"It's hard to just ignore it, its like..." I pursed my lips, figuring out the right words to describe the sensation to her. "...trying to ignore someone thats whispering in your ear 24-7." I pursed my lips harder, wondering if that was even a good description. It sounded kinda creepy, like I had a bug in my ear that was always talking. I mean it felt like that at times.

"Thats a little creepy." She surmised after a second of silence.

"Yeah, I felt like that wasn't a great description right after I said it." I laughed and it felt nice to actually laugh today. Angela grinned at me as well, giggling just a little.

* * *

I sort of just collapsed into my seat in History, ignoring everyone else in the room. I didn't feel like dealing with them or any sort of appearances. Isolation was great sometimes, when I wanted it anyways, it was great. I'd glanced maybe once at the Cullens during lunch to find two of them just outright staring at me, Edward and Rosalie. Lovely.

I closed my eyes for a second, trying to push away the sounds of people chatting and chairs screeching across the floors as people sat down. I was tired. I couldn't go back to sleep last night, I was too worried my brain would invade a certain family's privacy again. I sort of just tossed all night, occasionally feeling a cold chill which I blamed on being so tired. This was okay though, I wasn't falling asleep here.

"Miss Gray." An accented voice startled me slightly and forced my eyes to jump open. He'd snuck up on me, no one does that. What the hell?

"Mr Hale." I intoned with as little emotion as I possibly could, like I didn't give a damn about him. The feeling of cold that all the Cullens seemed to have on me arrived a little late, I was off my game.

"Out late last night?" He raised a brow, his eyes were bright gold...wait. I furrowed my brow for a second noting the eye colour mentally. I'll deal with that later.

"Not at all." I shook my head, watching him. Did he know? Did he know I had snuck around? I mean how _could_ he know? He'd have to be even more sensitive than me.

"Right." He sounded the slightest bit sarcastic, making me think he didn't feel like I was telling the truth. Slightly irritating, but fine. I mean, I had people swearing up and down that I'd stalked them from an off-hand comment I made.

"You may want to study down tonight. There's going to be a pop-quiz Friday." I mentioned distractedly as I picked up my bag to dig through for a pen.

"I have it on good authority that pop-quizzes are supposed to be a surprise," He trailed off, I looked up at him with some annoyance. "Hence the _Pop_ part." He finished with a small smile, holding out a pen.

"Thanks, guess you don't need it since you never take notes." I snapped, forcing myself to not snatch the pen out of his hand with my eyes as slits. I needed to calm my shit, the lack of sleep was about to win my temper. So what if he didn't believe me? So what if he was teasing me? I just needed to get through today. Thats all. I dropped my bag on the floor, ignoring the clang of my cell phone hitting the floor. Get through today, deal with it later.

"Guess not." He responded calmly, leaning on the desk with his head on his hand while he stared at the board. Nothing? Not even an eyebrow? Did I just not phase this guy at all?

It seemed like he'd heard a lot worse or crazier or _something_. I glared at his side for a second before I realised something...I want to find out more about Jasper Hale. If that was even his real name, seemed to me there was a lot about the Cullens that screamed sketchy to me.


	4. Chapter 4

_**I'm glad everyone enjoyed the last chapter and I hope you all enjoy this one too!**_

 _ **MM: I'll drop a hint here about Edward, its not much of a hint but! Remember he can hear thoughts. I'm glad her personality is coming through! :) Enjoy! **_

* * *

I began packing my things with the sinking suspicion the bell was about to ring, signalling the end of history class. We'd covered the first portion of the years leading up to the American Civil war, things like state issues and slavery were about it.

"See you in English, Miss Gray." My seatmate stood the second the bell rang, picking up his single unused notebook and turning to walk out.

I wondered about giving him his pen back but he'd already made it out of the door before I could actually make a decision. Oh well. He'll get over a lost pen. I watched his back until it disappeared out of the door way, wondering why nearly everyone in his family was cold feeling. It wasn't like I'd actually touched _any_ of them.

I wondered down the hallway, not really paying attention to the people around me until I'd made it outside. It felt like someone wanted my attention, like they were running after me which forced my head to swivel around as I searched for said person.

"Naomi!" A feminine voice yelling from my left side startled me slightly. Angela. Shit. I forgot to wait for her, I'm _really_ off my game today.

"Sorry, Ange!" I yelled to her with a sheepish grin as she slowed her awkward running when she caught up to me.

"Head in the clouds?" She panted, moving to a slow walk with me.

"Just a bit." I sighed, shifting the books in my arms to rest against my right side.

"Thats a rare sight...you okay?" She sounded genuinely worried.

"Yeah! I'm fine. Why you so worried?" I raised a brow, siding a glance at her.

"I think the last time you didn't know I was coming was in like...7th grade." She concluded slowly. It dawned on me that Angela was concerned for me and that was sweet, the idea made me smile hard.

"Well don't worry about me, Angie. I'm fine, I'm just tired. I got like...3 hours of sleep last night?" I shrugged, pushing the doors open to the science building.

"Fair enough. Must need a good amount of sleep to run that big brain of yours." She snorted, going past me into the hallway.

"I guess so." I laughed as I followed her in.

"See ya after school!" Angela yelled to me, starting for her own classroom as I stopped at mine. I went into the chemistry class and started towards my seat only to find someone sitting in it?

I had to force my eyes not to narrow into slits when I realised that Rosalie Hale was sitting in my seat. Sonvabitch. I know that we don't 'officially' have assigned seats but...a seat in the back row of almost classroom was mine. It had been since I started school in Forks. I continued my way to the back, ignoring the defiant stare she gave me the whole way.

This is fine. I can play this game, _Rose._

I plopped down in the seat closest to her's, making sure to sling my backpack from my shoulder so I almost hit her. Just almost. I considered messing with her but decided against it thanks to my slightly irrational fear of being accused of either stalking someone or witchcraft. Instead I settled for just sitting in silence and trying to ignore the cold that kept trying to make its way to rest in my bones.

It felt like this was antagonizing for her, like she wanted to move as far away as she could but she didn't move a muscle. She didn't move a single muscle for the entire class and frankly, by the end of Chemistry I wasn't as irritated as I was impressed. She said nothing as she stood and left the room in a whirlwind taking that cold feeling with her...is it weird that the wave she left behind was oddly nice smelling? Like flowers?

I stood up and trailed out of the room, considering that peculiar factoid. It may have just been a heavy perfume but it didn't seem like one. Those usually had really chemical overtones in them.

* * *

"You're here early, Naoma." Mr Elliott greeted me as I came through the doorway. He seemed to have just gotten here himself and was currently stacking up papers on his desk.

"Yeah, just a bit." I nodded at him. I was actually early to English today and I almost regretted that I didn't take my sweet time to get here.

"I wanted to talk to you about your last essay, on Ophelia?" Mr Elliott dug through his paper stack. We'd done Hamlet before and let me tell you, she was just the depressing tip of the big depression ice berg.

"Oh?" I questioned him distractedly. I was glancing at the back-row as I stopped at the front desk and spied Jasper Hale in the back. He was sporting a smug smile but it wasn't obvious to the casual observer. I'd glanced at him for a little longer to determine the meaning of his smile, longer than one would normally and now I just felt awkward.

"Interesting spin on her being a strong character...you mentioned she was one of the only two females in the play." He was requiring more of my attention which I was happy to give at the moment, it meant I wouldn't have to think about the amount of staring I just did.

"Yeah. She is. I know she dies early on but, I wanted to go all out on the philosophy." I muttered, reading over the paper that had a big red B on the front of it. I had a lot of thoughts running through my head all the time and writing meant I'd get to put some down on paper...and they wouldn't sound _as_ crazy.

"I can tell. I enjoyed it but I wish you wouldn't have rambled so much about her name?" He pursed his lips. I sided a glance at him, getting the feeling that he really wanted to like it but found it difficult to really understand. I had ideas and feelings but I didn't have a great way of communicating them which was a lifelong issue.

"I got it. I'll try to fix that next time." I nodded, taking the paper he'd handed to me. I could smell the cologne he put on this morning but he smelled more like paper to me. His left hand had ink smudges along his pinkie and wrist, and he was missing a cuff link on that side. He was busy this morning, I guess, but I had the feeling he'd been dealing with some personal problems.

"Looking forward to it." He sounded genuinely excited for that, making me smile but also feel a bit sad for him. What was going on in his life that meant a student's paper was that much fun?

I nodded at him again with a small smile and made my way towards my customary seat in the back, there wasn't any backpacks to trip on this time around which was lovely. I think I might actually snap at this guy if he got a kick out of me almost busting my ass again.

"Miss Gray." I almost snorted at him this time around, the man acted like he was 90 instead of 16 or 17 with that line. I mean I know I'm only 16, I don't have as much experience as my mom to understand people and the feelings I got from them but I still had them.

"Jasper." I greeted him by first name, almost challenging him to say I'd overstepped whatever odd boundaries his sensibilities had. His face didn't change which was irksome. If anything, I felt like I'd amused him somehow.

"Did you read last night?" He was making conversation again, forcing me to pay attention to him.

"Yeah." I elected to give him one word answers, mainly because I was still a little irked about him not believing me earlier. I really just wanted to know _how_ his brother figured me out. It seemed like there was something else going on with the family and out of the two of us, I was the more truthful one here.

"Thoughts?" He leaned on his palm, watching me with muted interest.

"Its sad." I responded shortly as he nodded slowly.

"Isn't that the point though? Whole story is there to remind you of one thing." He retorted with a slow voice, which was slightly irritating. It felt like he was playing on my emotions somehow, like he knew I was irritated but interested and wanted to exacerbate that.

"And pray tell, o-wise-one, what is that one thing?" I raised a brow, waiting for him to crack or _something_. I had nearly nothing to work on here and he didn't seem like he was about to actually tell me what he meant.

"These violent delights have violent ends." He countered with nothing more than a deeper voice that I was expecting. It was emotional but I couldn't get close enough to his head to get what emotion was clouding his words exactly. For all I knew, he was just passionate about Shakespeare.

"Good to know, Friar Tuck." I cracked a small smile, attempting to dispel his seriousness with a bit of humour.

"Alright, turning to Act I. Lets start off with some characters, Naoma?" I felt near panic settle in my chest as I realised that either Mr Elliott didn't call roll or I was too absorbed with my seatmate to realise he had...and that he was calling on me for an answer.

"...Alright...How about Romeo? Whats your impression of Romeo, Naoma?" Mr Elliott raised a brow slightly at my silence and continued on. I knew I had to answer but all I could feel was everyone's eyes on me. Some were teasing, others were curious, and the two guys in front of me were seriously hungry for entertainment.

"Hes...impulsive. Young. In love." My voice was quieter than I liked but Elliott ran with it nonetheless.

"Are those good qualities? Or are they flaws?" Elliott turned his back to me, writing on the board now.

"They're his tragic flaws. They'll be the death of him." I concluded out-loud, feeling a bit of relief as everyone seemed to lose interest in the back-row freak-show.

"Correct. Theres actually a term for what he is exactly but we'll get to that later." Elliott resounded, finished writing the word ' _ROMEO'_ and all of the flaws I'd listed above.

"Alright, Jessica, another character please." I breathed out a small sigh of relief as the classroom's attention turned to Jessica Stanley now.

Bless.

Jasper leaned towards me which made me still for a second. I had just relaxed for a second and now I was waiting with anticipation for what that meant. I kept having to stop myself from getting a little _too_ curious. When that happened, I'd end up knowing a lot more from a conversation than the other person meant to tell me.

Jessica Stanley wanted to ask me about a dance one time when we were younger, she did, but she also dropped a few hints that she'd felt fat. So fat that she'd started making herself throw up meals once a day. I'd asked if she felt well, or if she'd been throwing up when I got the image of her vomiting and she got really snippy, _really_ fast. Whoops?

"Good job there." He whispered into my hair, not getting close enough for me to even feel his breath but he disrupted my thoughts. I appreciated the space, I wasn't one for getting close and personal with people, I figured out too much that way. Generally I just picked up little bits of information but if I really focused down, I'd get snippets of images and those weren't things I was meant to see. I mean thats how me sneaking around in the girls bathroom rumour got started up, I had Jessica to thank for that.


	5. Chapter 5

_**MM: Did that help? LOL, I'm working up to intimacy. They've been around each other for a grand total of about 4 days but I get what you mean! As for Jasper, he's kinda romantic..ish. He's just trying to open her up so far. ****Curiosity** **killed the cat!**_

 ** _AppropriateLlama:_ _I'm glad that the psycicness is really coming through! I hope you enjoy this chapter just as much._**

 ** _Thank you to everyone reading this so far and sorry I didn't update as quickly as usual. I'm at uni and I have a job, it doesn't leave much room for free time!_**

* * *

Ever just sat down and wondered how different your life would be? If you'd made one decision differently, I mean. What if you choose _not_ to cross that street? What if you'd decided to stop at one Pringle instead of when the can was empty?

Basically, I've eaten an entire can of Pringles and now I think my stomach might pop which isn't the greatest feeling...the only life lesson here is, don't eat the _whole_ can. We all want to but, don't. This is why I was currently laying on the window seat in the lounge, pondering what I could change about my life. My mom always said that our actions never lie but my actions currently were reminiscent of a beached whale.

"I would have thought you'd be asleep by now." My mom's voice sounded from behind me, right on time. Just when you think of her, she appears. Love that woman.

"You and me both." I nodded from my position.

"Did you eat the whole can again?" She was amused now as an empty can dropped from my place at the window. It bounced off the wood floor with a sharp metallic clang.

"Maybe." I surmised, glancing back out of the window.

"Having some trouble processing today?" I could hear her feet coming closer to me until she was in my view, smiling down at me.

"What makes you say that?" I furrowed my brow at her.

"You usually only eat like it's Thanksgiving when it's Thanksgiving or...when you're trying to wrap your head around something." She concluded, pulling a chair away from the fireplace to sit down in.

"Have you ever wondered how different your life would be if you made one choice...differently, mom?" I looked across at her after I decided I'd just say it without any nuances, watching her think about that.

"Everyone has." She nodded slowly.

"Have you ever met any of the Cullens?" I raised a brow, switching the topic around quickly.

"No...Wait, yes I have." She quirked a brow, probably at how quickly I switched up the conversation, but answered anyway.

"Which one? Theres about a whole baseball team of them." I snorted as she sighed at me.

"I'm not sure. I think one of their boys, and their father. Jasper?" She seemed to be thinking hard as I nodded. Of course he'd been by the house at some point.

"And Carl?" I raised a brow, wondering if that was actually their dad's name.

"Carlisle." She corrected me but still smiled at my attempt.

"Carlisle." I pondered that name for a beat...the whole family had a slew of old-timey names. Emmett, Edward, Jasper, Rosalie...interesting.

"Yup...thats his name." She nodded slowly, watching my expression.

"Sorry, I spaced out for a second. What did they want exactly?" I asked calmly, trying to not let my curiousity run away with me. Where was I when this was happening?

"Oh, Carlisle just wanted to drop by and meet me. Folks kept telling him about me helping them, so he was nice enough to say hello on Monday." She shrugged, not seeing anything odd about it. I guessed I'd been at school then. Darn. Wait...was I actually sad that I'd missed seeing Jasper in my house? Or was I just sad I missed seeing him before anyone else got too?

"Did you guys battle it out over remedies and medicine?" I let a grin crease my face as I tried to focus back on my mother, the last doctor came in here only when he was mad about a patient not listening to him and listening to my mom instead.

"Nope! He was nice." She shook her head with a small smile.

"Thats good." I sighed, moving to get up from the window and probably go to bed.

"Going to bed?" She stood as well, watching me with muted curiosity.

"Yeah, its about time." I nodded, stretching slightly before I started moving towards the stairs.

"Alright, honey. Scream if you need me." I looked over my shoulder right as she gave me a small wink. I snorted at her and smiled anyways, facing the stair well again.

"Thanks mom. Night." I said over my shoulder as I started up the stairs.

"Night." She was quieter and slightly thoughtful but I didn't look back to see what that was about. I'm sure it was nothing anyways.

* * *

"Hey, Edward." I nodded to the cold boy getting out of his Volvo as I walked past his family's section of the parking lot. It was cold this morning, making my cheeks feel like ice cubes and his family didn't help me out here.

The tickling sensation of curiousity was pouring out of people around us which made me glance up at him, I wanted to see who was actually near me. No one was outside of his siblings. No one really came by this part of the parking lot anymore, which was unfortunate. It was the shortest route to the main hallway.

He didn't respond, rather he was just frowning at me. I gave him a quick smile, ignoring the feeling that he was trying to somehow search through my head by staring at me. It was an odd sensation, one I didn't really recall but I swear I'd felt something like it before. Whatever. Today is a new day and I'm trying to be friendly today, so I duck my head down and push through the cold until I reached out for the doors.

"Hello, Jasper." I nodded at the ground with the feeling he was within ear shot until I grasped at air, forcing me to look up.

"Naomi." He nodded back at me, one hand on the door and the other in his jean pocket. I watched him for a moment, until he started motioning towards the open doors with his free hand. Right, I'm supposed to be going through these.

"Thanks." I half shouted at the man as I scuttled through the doorway, trying to push away the obliviousness that seemed to overcome me when I got distracted.

"I'm going to guess you studied up for the quiz you say we're havin'." His voice made for a pleasant conversation in the sounds of kids running through to their lockers and chatting loudly about what they were going to do this weekend.

"Yup." I popped the P with some force. I _knew_ we were having one. I could just feel it, and eventually he'd figure out that when I felt something I was right 99% of the time.

"Of course you did." He seemed to find some humour in that, forcing an eye-roll out of me.

"Why wouldn't I study for a quiz?" I stopped at my locker, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Why wouldn't you." He repeated my words as a statement with the ghost of a smile on his face. I stared at his face for a second, watching his eyes drop down to my arms crossing over my chest and back up to my eyes.

"I'll...see you later, Naomi." His eyes skated off behind him for a split second as his hand came up to lightly touch my shoulder before it fell back to his side unceremoniously. I furrowed my brow at that gesture, it was weirdly friendly. Not the kind of weird that makes you wonder if hes a freak but weird as in, I wasn't expecting him to touch me. He was cold but that wasn't much of a difference from how he felt in general so I dismissed it.

I focused on grabbing books from my locker and hoping lunch would come by soon. I had a study hall in the morning on Fridays which was a welcome change from Maths and German. Geometry could kiss my ass.

"Hey Angela." I greeted my friend as she approached me with my head still in the locker.

"Did I just see Jasper Cullen talking to you?" She sounded almost accusative, forcing me to wonder if she had a crush on him already. Angie moved fast between guys, mainly because she never actually worked up the courage to talk to them so she just bounced around.

"Hale." I corrected, pulling my head and my chemistry book out of my locker.

"Whatever!" She huffed, a small smile on her face as she rolled her eyes at my correction.

"But yeah, that was him." I nodded, closing my locker and watching her. Her face wasn't nearly as flush as mine felt which told me that her mom had likely dropped her off. Lucky.

"What'd he say? Whats he like? I've heard hes super deep." She was practically bouncing with each question.

"He made fun of me for saying that we're having a pop quiz today." I snorted at her energy and began following her towards her own locker.

"Oh. Well, he's going to regret that." She decided, her energy downgraded just a tad when we reached her locker.

"So...when did you pick up a crush on Jasper?" I raised a brow, slowly leaning my shoulder on the lockers next to hers. I'd taken a gamble but I was totally right. Her face suddenly shifted from normal to almost cherry red.

"I hate you." She sighed as she opened up her locker. I just started giggling at her while she grabbed her books and assorted pens.

* * *

Study hall was lovely to have on a Friday morning, it made my weekend feel like I got an extra two hours added to it. I settled into my seat in the back and pulled out my lab manual for Chemistry with a small smile on my face.

"Edward." I greeted the odd boy again as he came closer, sitting down next to me. I felt like he possibly had study hall almost every morning which made me a little jelly but I ignored it.

"How do you do that?" His voice was quiet but a little too sharp for my liking.

"I saw you come in from the corner of my eye." I looked up at him for a second before I answered smoothly. It was another on my little white lies. It was technically a lie _but,_ it was harmless.

"Right. Just like how you knew it was me in the car before I got out." He crossed his arms over his chest, looking grumpy. Cute...if he was 5.

"I saw you guys come into the parking lot before you parked, dude." I forced my lips not to smile at the sight of a grown boy acting like a toddler that didn't get his way.

"Impossible. We were parked before you even left your house. So. How do you do that?" He shook his head, making me raise a brow at him.

"Do what?" I really did not have to tell him a single thing. He wasn't _owed_ any sort of explanation whatsoever...and with how he was acting, he wasn't going to get one.

"Okay...How do you know too much?" He raised a brow, looking more pissed off than before as he thought it over.

"Dunno." I smiled at him, watching the annoyance settle in on his face and shoulders. He was boney looking...lanky even. He just wasn't that great looking outside of his hair and jaw line, to me anyways. I imagined he spent hours blow drying his hair in the morning, pretentious little shit.

"You know...I don't even try to style my hair." His smirk was almost too smug as the smile dropped from my face. Interesting.

"Thats...nice?" I raised a brow, playing dumb as I tried to involve myself back into my lab manual. He had a stick up his ass that I wasn't interested in removing for him, or giving in to his 'requests'.


	6. Chapter 6

_**So I hope everyone enjoys this! It gets a little interesting.**_

* * *

I left study hall in a minor hurry, sauntering to lunch. I knew Edward was almost right behind me the entire time which elicited my reaction of just meandering my way into the cafeteria, but I also wanted food so I hurried ever so slightly. I forced myself to take my time just because I knew that it would annoy Edward. I was smug and this was wort-

I bounced off a rock, well...thats what it felt like. You know maybe I just walked into a wall...but this wall-rock had arms and a deep voice that said "Sorry."

Weird for a rock, right? I blinked a few times, re-associating myself with the tiled floor of my school and the pairs of feet in my vision. Good god, I felt like I just ran myself into a wall.

"Oh, it's alright." I nodded to Emmett Cullen from my spot on the floor. He looked mildly apologetic but was looking over me to who I had to assume was Edward. He probably got a great kick out this.

"You okay?" The accent told me that I was wrong. It was Jasper. I glanced at the hand that he'd outstretched to my position on the floor with suspicion. No wait... there was three of them? No...My head hurt, a lot. I sat up off the floor and watching his hand for a second before it dawned on me that he was expecting me to take it and get up. Right.

I took his hand and stood warily, wondering just how hard Emmett's pecks were. I was rubbing my head with my free hand when I realised that Jasper was talking, his brow was furrowed. I had a sinking feeling that head injures were particularly bad for people like me.

"...eed to look out where you're running, Emmett." His voice was low but sharp as he almost glowered at Emmett. Emmett was rubbing his neck and looking down at the spot where I'd flopped on the floor. I felt like I was intruding on a family scolding which was odd...do families do that? Mine didn't.

"I think it's funny she didn't see it coming." An oddly sensual voice spoke up this time, it wasn't Edward or Jasper's. I spun my head around just as Rosalie Hale walked by. Bitch.

"The freak fell down...sigh." A snotty voice snorted as she walked by, I recognised Lauren Mallory's platinum blond hair as she went into the cafeteria. Great, I'd attracted even _more_ attention now.

"Look. I'm fine. I just wasn't looking where I was going." I practically shouted over the sounds of the hallway that were overwhelmingly loud to my ears. Everything was oddly fuzzy right now. It wasn't my eyes, or my ears. They were both fine...I think. It just _felt_ fuzzy around me, there were too many Cullens and too many people. My hand felt colder than the rest of me which was off-putting.

"Naomi?" Angela's soft voice called from behind the walls that were closing in on me right now, making me jump to join her. She was calm most of the time but she was more level feeling than the Cullens, they were up and down and all around within seconds. I dropped the hand in mine, forgetting it was there until now.

"Gotta go!" I sputtered quickly to the guys around me and pushed passed Emmett to find my friend.

"What was that about?" Angela sounded intrigued by the little scene that my bouncing caused and I wasn't.

"I dunno, family issue or something." I shrugged, grabbing an apple in line. I felt a little sick to my stomach but I wasn't sure if that was my head or just the general ridculousness of the situation I had just been in.

"Right." She didn't sound convinced but she wasn't pushing it so I was a little thankful.

I didn't say anything else, just wanting to keep my head down until I could go home. She didn't either luckily, we sat down and I couldn't stop myself from rubbing my head some more. I could feel a hot and swollen bump developing on the back of my head. Great. The apple wasn't helping the nausea either.

"I'm going home." I sighed, picking my head up and looking at Angela. She wasn't looking at me though, she was looking behind me. I turned my head slightly, ignoring the sharp pains as I did so to see what she was looking at. I felt my mood plummet when I realised it was the Cullen table. Great.

Jasper was speaking quickly, glaring at Emmett who was just nodding. Rosalie was speaking to Emmett's defense it seemed, I had to assume they were a couple. Odd but not entirely out there. They were just adopted siblings...I guess? Edward was leaned back, he seemed like he was listening but not to the conversation in front of him. Odd. His eyes darted to mine as he said something which made everyone's head turn to Angela and I, really odd.

I looked away quickly, just wanting to go home already. I stood, ignoring the deafening squeaking sound that the chair made as I pushed it back across the floor.

"Wait, where are you going?" Angela's attention was back on me, looking concerned now as her eyes searched across my face.

"Home. I'm done for today." I sighed, rubbing my head again. I'm sure that theres things I'm supposed to tell to certain people so I can leave but I was just going to roll with the truant way and just skip the afternoon.

"What? Why?" She stood too, even more concerned now. I have to admit, it was out of the norm for me to just bail on school but I couldn't deal with the noise of this place. There were too many people here.

"I don't feel good." I sighed, wanting to leave already. It was a long walk but I'm sure it'll be fine...probably.

"What's wrong?" Angela grilled me for some kind of reasoning, probably to calm herself down.

"I just don't feel great, Ange. I'm going home." I blew out air slowly, trying to calm down and not vomit across the table. That'd be embarrassing.

"Well...text me when you get home." She demanded with a furrowed brow.

"Will do." I nodded, starting to walk towards the exit.

"Naomi?" Angela's voice sounded far away as I almost ran into a pillar. So? I was just a little off-kilter. Correction, my world was just a little off-kilter as I tried to head for the exit out of this hell hole. I've never really had trouble walking before but apparently today was the day. TERRIFIC. The swirling of everything was _not_ helping my need to vomit.

"I've got her." An accented voice spoke into my ear as two arms moved me away from the pesky pillar. I'm just going to say it was in my way to make me feel better.

"O-oh. Okay." Angela sounded unsure but agreed anyways. Great, she left me with someone. Thanks, Angie. I felt like it was Jasper but I also really didn't care right now. I just wanted to go lay down.

I didn't say much as I was moved through the doors and into the hallway. I didn't say much at all when he opened my locker up and slung my backpack over his shoulder. It didn't dawn on me that it was odd at all. I really only spoke up when we left the high school and I found myself being

"Why am I being put in a car?" I asked loudly, looking at the black leather interior, nice car to be kidnapped in.

"I'm taking you home, Naomi." Jasper responded with little emotion as he sat in the driver seat and turned the ignition.

"Righto." I nodded, rubbing the growing bump on the back of my head.

"Why are you doing this again?" I raised a brow as I stopped rubbing my head, it felt a little calmer now but things still were really overwhelming for some reason.

"Because your...head needs to see someone who has experience with your...head and the only person that I know of with said experience is your mother, darlin'." Jasper's voice sounded faraway to me.

I stared at the road with a furrowed brow, it was almost glittery looking and very distracting. Like a mirage sort of thing but there wasn't any sun out from what I could tell, it felt like everyone around me was hiding under this little cloud of glitter and deception. In some part of the back of my head, I knew this wasn't normal, even for me.

"Hello?" My head spun around to stare at Jasper's profile as he tried to get my attention. He was glittery but scarred. His face was littered with scars, I brought my hands away from my head and reached out for his cheek.

It was cold and...horrible. His body was mangled in my head, I knew he was fine. He's alive and well next to me, like literally in the driver seat but I still snatched my hand back like I'd been burned. I tried to act a little more casual and chose to rest my hands on my head again. Scary, sad, horrible. I pulled my knees to my chest and ran my hand over the jean material in some effort to ground myself again.

"What happened to you?" I breathed through the headache and spoke into my hands.

"Naomi...we're here." Jasper sounded distant still, and carefully withdrawn. I looked up to see the familiar shudders and smoke pillowing out of the chimney.

"Thanks." I nodded, letting my feet back down and unbuckling my seat belt. I didn't even realise I'd put one on but I didn't really care, I just wanted inside _now_. I needed to get away from Jasper and people before they thought I was any more weird than I was already.

"I thought you rode a Harley to school." I recounted as I opened the door and started trying to carefully get out of his car without dirtying it. I didn't feel awkward though...which I probably should by now but I dismissed it as me being distracted by my head feeling like it was going to fall off my shoulders.

"Just let me help." He sounded relatively amused for someone who just experienced a freak episode in his ridiculously nice car. Was this even his car? I thought he rode a motorcycle?

"I can get out of a car." I rolled my eyes as I held onto the door frame to some kind of support. Okay so today wasn't terrific for me so far but maybe Saturday was going to be my day.

"Right. I respect that you can but what kind of a man would I be not to help you?" He snorted but went serious again in a second as he held out his hand for me. I pursed my lips at the change and thought about that for a second.

Maybe that was why I was so overwhelmed by the Cullens, the feel of them changed around on a dime. I took the outstretched hand nonetheless, bracing myself for something weird to happen again but...nothing. He was restrained and distant again and I couldn't tell if I actually liked it or not.

"Naoma? What happened?!" I felt myself freeze as my mother's panic broke through the front door and almost ran down the steps to us.

"She hit her head, Ms Gray." Jasper called out and kept a respectful amount of distance between us as I came out of the car in one fluid motion.

"Oh, I see...anything...new?" She chose her words carefully, seemed like she was trying to not so subtly ask me if anything else happened mentally afterwards. I paused on that for a moment before I stared her dead in the eyes.

"Nope." I lied through my teeth and even smiled at her. Jasper remained silent about my spiel in the car, I mentally thanked him for it through the waves in my head.

"Right...well I'm still going to insist you stay home." She nodded slowly, looking a little bit more calm. Theres a good reason I never played sports, track was the closest she'd let me get to possible head injuries. I just didn't quite get how me bumping off of Emmett Cullen resulted in _this_. This throbbing headache and the bump on the back of my head.


	7. Chapter 7

_**AppropriateLlama: I had some ideas for getting in on what they were talking about but it just didn't make much sense, there wasn't really a way to insert it in unfortunately. Maybe later on! She does get some snips of the past when she's got a head injury ;D**_

 _ **A little intimacy! Let me know what you guys think!**_

* * *

So far I'd been given ice and tea and then more ice and some pain killers. I loved my mom to death but damn if she didn't stop giving me ice, I was going to open a snow cone stand and start chiseling the ice off my head.

"How are you holding up?" My mom popped her head back in for a quick second, peering at me.

"I'm good, I'm just...chilling out." I snorted slightly as I waved at her with my phone in my hand.

"Alright, call if you need anything. Also, we're supposed to get some guests next week." She nodded, looking focused on something else. I nodded back as she left the room again.

The pain had almost all gone away when I took the painkillers, I guessed it had taken down the swelling too. Jasper had high tailed it out of here when my mom took over and went full-on mom mode, she didn't blame him or his brother for anything despite how many times he said he was sorry for it.

My phone buzzed in my hands again, telling me that Jasper had texted me again. He was sneaky, slipping his phone number into mine while I was out of it but I can't say I didn't enjoy the conversation.

 _Hows the head now?_

 _Its the same from the last time you asked 5 mins ago. Lol_ I snorted aloud and shook my head. He was worried but I mean, its just a bump on the head.

 _Just checking...We had our quiz btw_

 _O really? Its like someone said that there would be._ I raised a brow at the phone, waiting to see what he'd say considering I was right.

 _Made a 90, I think._ His answer made me glare at the phone, he'd totally smacked the thunder out of my awesome amazingly rightness.

 _Thats great._ I pursed my lips at the phone now.

 _Someone might have been right._ I started grinning at the phone from his acknowledgement, HAHAHAHAHA. Yes. Thank you, a bow here and a bow there.

 _Really? Thats a surprise to me._

 _Yeah, knowing something before anyone else does must get old._ I licked my lips at that, we were going into a bit of a risky territory for me. Why is it that any time I talk to the Cullens for more than five minutes, I get this panicky feeling like I'm the main suspect in a murder?

 _You'd have to talk to Edward about that._ I typed quickly realising my slow response might be even more suspicious.

 _You're not wrong about that. What ever you do, don't play games with him. He cheats._ I let a little laugh out from that, usually people just figured I had lucky hunches until I kept scoring goals in soccer...then they just said I _had_ to be cheating.

 _Really? What games?_ I was trying to lead him off of the subject that was me and my weirdness.

 _Chess, racing, video games  
the list goes on and on_

 _Racing like car games?_ I raised a brow at that, did he have a bad boy streak? Or was he just a gamer?

 _More like racing down a street in a moving vehicle._ Hmm...interesting. I never had the balls, or the car for that but I loved watching other people do it. They were exciting.

 _That sounds kinda fun_ I have to admit that a little part of me was hoping he'd ask if I wanted to hang out and do that but I did just meet him.

 _Yeah, its this brand new hip thing called Street racing._ Well then, the sarcasm was out I guess. Great, thanks Jasper.

 _What? Really? I had no idea._

 _It's pretty fun, I'd say we should try it sometime but it might be little too high speed for ya._ Oh? Really? Too high speed? Well, he's got another thing coming.

 _Really now? I've never tried it, but I guess since it's just too high speed for me I'll sit at home and read._ I had some determination as I typed that one out, I might have crushed the little buttons in my furious typing...

 _I guess you could do that or_ I pursed my lips at his message, wondering where the other half of it was.

 _You could just come with me and Emmett Sunday for some off roading._ I couldn't help the grin that found it's way across my face at that but then it fell away when I actually started thinking about it. I mean as far as safety goes, this isn't really the safest thing for me...maybe I shouldn't? I had a little bump to the head and went super freak.

 _Don't worry, you'll be strapped up and safe with me._

 _Sounds good!_ Okay! So! Maybe he can read minds. Thats cool too...okay a little bizarre but I mean I thought he was made of glitter and deception earlier so not really the most unconventional thing ever for me.

 _Great, I'll pick you up at 3._ I let out a small squeal and quickly quieted myself. No need to get this excited...I must not do a lot to be this excited over riding around in mud in a car. I need to get a life, damn.

"You okay?" My mom appeared suddenly in my door again, startling me slightly. I stared at her, wide eyed for a second as it processed she had just suddenly appeared and she was my mother.

"Yeah! I'm great. I uh...I think I might go hang out with Jasper Sunday?" I posed it as a question as I realised she may not actually go for this. I don't think I've ever asked her to go out with a guy alone. I mean I had a boyfriend before...okay not really. I met a guy at summer camp when I was 15 and we kissed but I don't think she knew about that.

"Doing?" She raised a brow, watching me for a second.

"English homework." It was out of my mouth before I could stop myself. What is with me and lying to my mom lately? Jesus.

"Oh, okay. I trust you." She relaxed quickly, smiling at me which made me feel even more horrible. The last time I kept anything from my mom was with Nathan and she figured that one out pretty fast.

"Thanks!" I nodded slowly, trying to not move the ice around my head.

"You just feel better. We don't need anymore things happening around here." She looked away for a second, glancing around my room before landing back on me.

"Right." I smiled at her, avoiding the sinking guilt I felt.

* * *

I'd checked my hair for the second time today when I realised I was going a little overkill on this. This was just me hanging out with his family, nothing more than that. So I needed to chill out over here, like a lot.

"You look nervous." My mom startled me for a second, she was the only person that I never really picked up on when she was around.

"I am a little nervous." I admitted, looking back at my reflection in the mirror.

"It's alright." I watched her come closer and pick a piece of my hair off of my shoulder then smile.

"Everyone gets nervous." She declared right as I heard a loud honk outside our home.

"Have fun with English and watch out for your head!" She called as she left the room, I heard her feet go down the stairs as I spanned my room for my backpack. That was an odd thing to add on for studying Romeo and Juliet...if she knew anything she wasn't saying it.

"Found it." I mumbled to myself as I snatched up the backpack and slung it over my shoulder. Here we go, time to actually go outside now.

"Bye mom!" I ran down the stairs and opened the front door in a hurry. I felt bad enough as it was, I didn't want to stick around for a longer goodbye and I didn't hear one as I went out the door.

I slowed my walking down exponentially as I looked up from the gravel to see a red jeep that had to be guzzling down gas at the curb next to my house. I couldn't really see who the driver was which made me ever so slightly nervous. I picked up my pace, observing the situation until I felt the familiar coldness radiating from the car. It was definitely one of the Cullens and that oddly made me a little more calm.

Nervousness wasn't something I was used to in general and I wasn't sure what about the new family made me so nervous. It felt like I was constantly watching out for some kind of unseen predator that my head was trying to tell me was there. I spanned my surroundings as I reached for the door handle, there was nothing around except for forest and my mother in the house. Weird.

"Naoma." Jasper greeted me as I got in the car, the change in formalities made me smile slightly.

"You know you can just call me Naomi, right?" I raised a brow, glancing at him while I closed the door behind me and began fiddling with the seat-belt. There were quite a few in here and some of these I did _not_ know how to work. Who knew there were seat-belts that I didn't know about? Who even invented these things?

"I don't like to cross boundaries 'till I know." He shrugged, watching me put on the seat-belt.

"Not much of a point for boundaries." I shrugged this time as I decided to just go with the traditional belt and call it good. The formal attitude didn't go for very long in this sort of atmosphere with me, we were just as close as we were in class but it was just us this time.

"Whys that?" He asked as I watched my house get farther and farther back down the road.

"I mean you've seen me in my...not greatest point of my life." I snorted as I found the word to call what exactly happened Friday.

"And that means what?" He questioned slowly as I looked back at him. He was focused on the road in front of us.

"I guess its all great now, everything goes." I declared with a small clap as I fought for some kind of light conversation between us.

"Really now?" He laughed a little at that, making me really pay attention to him. I don't think I'd ever seen him actually laugh, it was pleasant though. It'd be a chuckle at most but it was deep and close to gravelly sounding.

"Yup." I popped the P as I stared back out the window to find we had actually stopped. Okay, so I got a little distracted there. My bad.

"What are you doing?" I asked confusedly as a hint of panic set in when he got out of the car. Was I supposed to get out too? I didn't see anyone out here, it was just woods and the road looked like it was slowly getting smaller and smaller ahead of us. This is very unsettling, I was out of my element here. I watched Jasper suddenly appear next to my door as he opened it.

"Just making sure you're actually safe today." He muttered as he got closer to me, reaching around my hips to click the belt out again.

"I figured you might want to buy me dinner first." I claimed with a small smile. I wasn't really sure of what to say. I mean, I did say everything goes now but damn. At least he smelled nice?

"Might have to take you up on that." He gave me a small smile as I breathed in the smell of leather and something spicy like _Fireball._ His smile was attractive but my eyes darted to a scar I spotted on his neck when his hair shifted slightly back.

"Gee, thanks." I snorted. He started pulling out the straps that I just didn't quite figure out. He didn't smell very boozy though, which was nice.

"Lets just see if you can stick around for that after today." He declared as I slid my arms through the straps he'd held out for me. He moved to the front of me now, focusing on snapping the buckles into place. Jasper's fingers were just barely touching me, I couldn't even feel him through my clothes and I had a feeling he wanted it that way.

"There we go." He took a step back as he appraised his work on the multitude of black nylons straps across my shoulders and chest.

"I feel like I'm a patient in an insane asylum." I noted blankly as I looked down and realised I couldn't move much from this seat. Terrific.

"Good." He snorted as he came closer, watching my expression.

"Is it?" I raised a brow as I looked back down at the straps, fingering them.

"Can't have you hittin' your head again, doll." He declared as he moved some of my hair to close the door again. I didn't mind being call doll...I guess. It was new and it felt kinda Texan.

"Are you from Texas?" I was curious as he got back into the car.

"Yes ma'am." He seemed to have loosened up a bit which was appealing for me. I wanted more answers.


	8. Chapter 8

_**So this chapter is a little shorter than usual. But! Its literally all Jasper and Naomi chatting it up in the car, enjoy!**_

* * *

"Where in Texas?" I kept asking questions and he seemed to be content with that, considering he wasn't asking any himself.

"Houston." He answered calmly. I watched him for a bit, the odd feeling of deception was settling down around me and I wasn't sure why. No one really needs to lie about where they were born.

"Is it hot there?" I raised a brow, watching him for another second. I'd spent my whole life here and I was happy to be in a cold climate most of the time, my eyes were ever so slightly sensitive to light.

"Little bit." He seemed to have to think about that for a bit before he replied. Interesting.

"What was there to do as a kid?" I kept my brow raised while I waited for him to think on that. Did he not remember his childhood at all?

"I...didn't have much time to play." He shrugged, jumping around my questions.

"Why?" I questioned curiously, I kinda felt like that kid in the back of the classroom that always had their hand up right now.

"My family was what you'd call, lower income. I took care of them until I had to...leave." His reply was little more terse this time and the deceptive feeling was lingering but I was confused at this point. I looked back out of the window, watching the forest's go by us. I wasn't entirely relaxed though I'd let my thoughts wonder, the doctor wasn't his biological father. That much I knew...

"Oh right, you were adopted." I'd said it before I could stop myself, I had a feeling I was right in a sense but I don't think I was supposed to know that right now. I could feel him cut a glance over at me before he sort of chuckled.

"What?" I peered at him with confusion. This is the part where he was supposed to start questioning if I'd stalked him, not laugh.

"You remind me of my sister, Alice. Shes got a gift like you do." He decided that my little sixth sense was a gift apparently and it actually made me feel a little good about it.

"Interesting." I nodded, I was going to be the quiet one at this point. _I'd_ be the one to withdraw. I could feel he was trying to, but lets be real here: theres only so much you can withdraw from me in a space this tight. He was quiet for a few seconds as I continued to stare out the window, I imagined he was waiting for me to fire off the next questions.

"Edward has a lot of suspicions about you." His voice was almost startling despite the fact that I had literally just heard him talk for the last five minutes. It was so deep and gravelly, a stark bit of difference compared to the light female voices I was used to hearing.

"Why?" I was attempting to play coy, I knew he was unsettled around me and I knew why. What I didn't get is how _he_ knew about me that night?

"Probably because you eavesdropped a bit." His reply was steady on, like this wasn't even a little surprising to him.

"I didn't mean too." I mumbled defensively, and continued to stare out the window.

"I kinda figured." The fact that he could hear me was surprising and I'm not sure if I liked that. I wasn't used to being surprised but this seemed to happen a lot around him. I didn't say anything else after and it seemed I didn't need to because we'd stopped just behind a forest line but I didn't see his brother.

"You ready?" I looked back at him with a raised brow.

"Wheres the big wall of Forks?" I didn't see his colossal brother out here and I wasn't sure why he wasn't here at the moment.

"He wanted to hang home." His response left me with some questions. I peered at him for another moment and watched as he cracked.

"Okay, I didn't tell him about today." He huffed which made me want to smile but I continued to watch.

"Hes too clumsy as it is, and I don't need the possibility of him banging your head anymore than he has already." His words spilled out quickly and left me with the oddest warm sensation.

"Aw, you do care." I snorted.

"You have no idea." His voice was low, so low that I don't think I was meant to hear that. I meant it as a joke but suddenly, it just got serious and almost awkward in here.

"Shit!" I didn't get any warning as he gassed the jeep and we jumped onto a trail in the woods abruptly, my hand grabbed the oh-shit bar for dear life. Through the sudden jolt, I heard Jasper's laughter echo through my skull.

* * *

Once I got over the fact that we were gunning it across a seriously bumpy and chaotic terrain, I loved every second of it. It was a big rush of adrenaline that went straight to my head and I wanted it again but the sensation of hunger was taking over...I should have packed a snack. We were back on the road and I wasn't 100% sure of where we were going but I didn't mind that too much.

"Whatcha doin' there?" I stopped my movements at his tone of alarm as I fiddled with the belts and frowned at them. I'd unsnapped two but I needed two more to be unsnapped before I could reach forward for my bag. I continued to fiddle though I was getting no where.

"I wanted to see if I left food in my bag." I sighed at his tone of alarm. His insistent need to have me absolutely safe was getting in the way of me digging through my bag for a forgotten candy bar or fruit gummy.

"Alright." That was all he said and it wasn't very helpful, so I continued to fuss over the straps and fail at leaning forward enough to grab my bag. I tried again right as a pale hand reached forward and handed me my bag.

"Oh, thanks." I was appreciative but I was focused on digging through my bag up until I spotted a Ziploc bag with a freshly made sandwich and a mandarin. My mom was too good sometimes, she had to have known I'd get hungry. I pulled out the sandwich with a small smile and started eating it.

"You look happy." He seemed amused as he commented on my expression.

"Little bit." I mumbled between bites. It was turkey and provolone, my favourite and my mom knew it.

"Gonna take a wild guess and say thats your favourite?" He was smirking at me which was fascinating. I could just see the sharp tip of his canine and I was enticed in the same way people watch a bloody car wreck on the side of a road. It was sharper than usual for a regular person.

"Naomi?" I realised I hadn't actually responded to him. I was distracted by my thoughts, they were off putting.

"Yeah, sorry. It is my favourite." I nodded, putting down the sandwich bag and looked away from him.

"You looked like you had a thought there." He was right, of course, but I wasn't sure why I'd tell him.

"Your teeth...are...very..." I blew out a bit of air, this was stupid. "White." I declared unceremoniously as I glanced at him.

He was just watching me and it seemed like he was waiting for more, like he was hoping I'd say something for him so he wouldn't have too. I wasn't sure what he was wanting so I just stared at him for a while until I realised he _wasn't_ watching the road.

"Uh...you may want to watch the road." I pointed warily at the asphalt in front of us while we maintained eye contact.

"Don't worry, darlin. I've got great reflexes." He declared with a small smile but he looked back at the road nonetheless. I realised he'd been calling me that for a little bit and it wasn't bad, it was just...a nickname. That was all.

"Thats great and all, but uh...I don't know about you, I'm human and a car wreck wouldn't be great for me." I snorted with little humour. If a bump on my head sent me spiraling, I cant even being to imagine what a wreck would do to me.

"I would never put you in that situation." He was sweet I guess, not wanting me in danger. I mean thats just sort of what decent people do though, assuming he was a decent person.

"Whats your favourite colour?" He was the one asking questions now, I guess. I was out of it today.

"Blue." I declared.

"What was your favourite stuffed animal as a child?" I thought about that for a moment, I didn't really have a favourite, I had imaginary friends that weren't so imaginary as they were dead relatives. My mom swore up and down that I had a best-friend I called Eldora, which was actually her great aunt. Personally, I think I was just a kid with a lot of time on her hands and no one to play with.

"I didn't have one." I shrugged.

"What was your favourite stuffed animal as a child?" I threw the question back to him, wondering if he was going to give me another dodgy answer or not.

"I don't remember if I had one or not." It felt like the truth but who doesn't remember their favourite toy as a kid?

"Why?" I was questioning him out the ass again, searching for another slip up on his part.

"It was a long time ago." He muttered.

"It wasn't _that_ long ago." I raised a brow, watching him closely.

"It wasn't but uh, I just don't really have that great of a memory." He declared awkwardly as we both went silent.

"Whats Rosalie's deal with me?" I decided that I'd bring up something for conversation and I was genuinely curious.

"Shes kinda got a stick up her ass." He snorted, making me smile a little bit.

"I feel like she got told she was pretty a lot as a kid and never got off that high." I commented warily, hoping not to step on any toes with it. It felt minorly risky to say it with the fact that he was sort of her family.

"Oh man, you have no idea. Everywhere we go, she thinks shes hot shit." He was taking this a lot better than I could have hoped and it actually made me feel a little better, like we were bonding over his sister being a bitch.

"Yeah, I kinda got that." I laughed a little.


	9. Chapter 9

_**TAH-DAH! I've actually updated. My bad, guys! This one is a bit longer though, so I hope that some how makes up for it.**_

* * *

"Anything else you'd want to do today?" I thought for a second at his invitation and decided against it. We'd gone back and forth about his family and all but eventually silence rolled on until he spoke.

"Nah, I'm good. I need to get home eventually." I laughed lightly, the feeling of guilt sneaking up on me again. I'd told my own mother that I would be doing homework under the careful eye of Jasper's adopted parents. Well, no harm no foul, right?

"Ah, sick of my company already?" He was probably joking but I swear I heard the slightest drip of seriousness in his words.

"No no, just need to actually do work." I shook my head, trying to not be too serious. I had a feeling he paid close attention to every word I muttered and took it to heart a little too deeply right now.

"I see, well...we're here." I took a second to realise he'd already been on the road to taking me home for some time now. He'd known?

"Wow." I mumbled as I started trying to undo the seat-belts. It took him maybe a minute of my struggle before he got out of the car and appeared next to me again. His appearance didn't startle me as much as it drew my attention away from the belts entirely.

"So, think you'll stick around after today?" His voice was easy-going for how close he was to my face right now.

"I might be convinced to do that." I cracked a joke, smiling at him as his fingers easily clicked all of my buckles in one swift motion. His eyes met mine quickly, almost scaring me. He was smooth but quick in all of his motions, like a panther that was just waiting for it's prey's defense to fall...that was an odd image.

"We'll see what I have to do then, Darlin'." He stared at me for a moment longer, a warm feeling was settling in my core and it made my cheeks tingle. I'd almost forgotten the feeling of paranoia that my brain kept pushing at me, it was acting like I'd just jumped into a lion's den without knowing it. I feel like anyone would notice if they'd fallen into a pen at the zoo, how could you miss jumping over the railing?

"Right." I declared awkwardly, shoving myself out of the seat in a hap-hazard tidal wave when I realised I hadn't responded yet. I wasn't used to this feeling from him at all and I didn't know what it was exactly, but...I'd figure it out. I always do. I turned back around to grab my backpack to find a smirking Jasper who held it out to me.

"Thanks." I nodded, snatching the bag from his hand and turning to quickly walk up to my house. He didn't say anything back but I heard him shut the jeep's door behind me with measured force.

It was only when I reached my front door did I actually dare to glance at him over my shoulder, he was just leaning against the car with his arms crossed over his chest and that same stupid smirk on his face. He knew something I didn't and I desperately wanted to know what it was. What did he _know_?

I sped into the house and closed the door behind me, leaning on it to ground myself. I needed to regroup. Badly. I was getting too curious about him and it was a bit distressing, the more I found out, the more I wanted to know. He was like a fun house that I couldn't figure a way out of.

"Naoma?" My mom's voice called out from somewhere deeper in the house. She was the only one that actually said my full name all the time, everyone else did it when they were mad. Right, okay. Just have to deal with my mother, then I could go upstairs and become a potato in my bed.

"Here!" I walked from the door to where I figured she'd be, tending to the plants inside the lounge.

"How was your study date?" Her back was turned as she trimmed a particularly larger and leafy plant.

"It wasn't a date, it was just studying." As soon as I finished the sentence, I knew I said it too fast...what was wrong with me?

"Right." She peered over her shoulder at me, her eyes scanned my figure until she found whatever she'd been looking for.

"I'm tired. I'm going to go lay down." I nodded to myself and turned to leave but stopped myself at the door frame.

"Thanks for the sandwich, by the way." I pursed my lips at the silence.

"You're welcome, honey." She sounded like she was happy so I took that and ran with it, almost literally running up the stairs to my room.

* * *

 _"You're getting too close!" A shrill voice startled me as I realised what I'd done. I was back in the Cullen's house, and it looked to be sometime in the night with Rosalie and the other Cullens gathered around an expansively large living room. I peered around for Edward but he was no where to be found, thankfully._

 _"Am I supposed to not_ _get close to **my** mate?" He sounded mad, much more mad than I'd ever seen Jasper. I was shocked and still as I stared at him, his eyes were red and his teeth bared. Good christ. _

_"Shes not your mate! Shes human!" Rosalie didn't seem very deterred by him but his brother, Emmett had taken a step closer to her. I was confused still by Rosalie's use of the word 'human', like it was blasphemy of the highest degree when she was one herself._

 _"She is! Shes interested in me." He seemed so sure of this girl that I was almost jealous._

 _"Everyone is interested in us!" She threw her arms up in frustration._

 _"Shes not! She's never been enthralled. Doesn't that tell you some-" He was interrupted in his frenzied defense of this chick by a smaller girl who put her hand on his chest...Alice I think. His sister?_

 _"They're just simply meant to be, Rose. I've seen it." Apparently her seeing of things was something to be respected in this household, because everyone went silent at that._

 _"This is just too risky to the family. Shes a danger." Rosalie declared with a heavy voice, I glanced around the room as some kind of hefty atmosphere settled over everyone. This family was a trip, like a new whole level of theatrics in family discussions._

 _"I'll prove she's not. If anything happens, **I'll**_ _take the fall. Alone." He seemed to have issued a challenge that was serious, as if this discussion could actually get more serious._

 _"Fine." Rosalie had a mischievous glint in her eyes as she nodded, making me feel like I was on a TV show._

 _"It's getting early. I need to go." Jasper suddenly disappeared out of the room within the blink of an eye, I stared at the place he' had been in for a second. I'm dreaming._

 **BEEPBEEPBEEPBEE-** I slapped the button on the side of my phone, shutting off the alarm in a startled hurry. It felt real, like I'd been eavesdropping on the Cullens again but it turned...weird. It wasn't a dream, but it _had_ to be. I was just wrong. My feeling was wrong, it had to be. People didn't just disappear suddenly.

* * *

I found myself staring out the window during lunch again but this time I wasn't daydreaming, I was waiting for Angela to appear finally. History had been...quiet. Quieter than I was expecting considering the underhanded flirting Jasper had been doing when we were alone. Maybe that was it? He was only interested in me when we were alone? Chemistry wasn't nearly as quiet.

 _"Enjoy your trip?" Rosalie's voice cut through the silence I'd been holding onto for class. I glanced at her from the corner of my eye before I stared back at the exercises I'd finished up last night._

 _"It was new." I didn't give much away with that, and I had a feeling that annoyed her. It seemed like she'd been wanting more of a reaction from me than I was willing to give, reminding me of Edward in a way._

 _"Just so you know, I don't like you." She'd lowered her voice when she sat down and more people began filling the room. It felt like that was supposed to hurt my feelings but all it did was make me want to laugh. I elected to ignore her more, not bothering to think when I responded._

 _"Not like I didn't know that already." Shit. Shit, shit, shit. This was why I didn't talk to people without being hyper aware. It felt tense after, but she didn't say anything else for the rest of class. It felt like she was...thinking hard about something. I could pull that off as a vibe thing-like regular people vibes. Not...my vibes._

"Mind if I take a seat?" I blinked a couple of times at the sudden burst of cold before I actually took in the taller figure of Jasper Hale leaning over the empty seat across from me. Of course it was was him.

"It's a free country." I shrugged, taking another bite out of the apple I'd almost forgot was in my hand. I wasn't sure if I wanted to give him the time of day or just ignore him to actually consider the dream I'd had. It felt so _real_ but it couldn't be.

"Fought hard for that." He nodded absentmindedly as I peered at him for a moment. That caught my attention. Well that and his general appearance, he'd changed clothes from last time I saw him but, his eyes were a darker gold colour today. I pondered what sort of medical condition could actually allow your eyes to change colour on a daily basis.

"Thinking of going into the military?" I questioned as he sat down, looking just as relaxed as ever with an odd assortment of foods on his tray. An orange, lettuce, and some rice with what looked to be salad dressing. It wasn't the only weird thing about him today but that was starting to feel normal to me, and here I thought _I_ was as weird as Forks could get.

"Uh...no, not again." He let out a small sarcastic snort before leaning back into his chair.

"Again?" I continued to eye him for a second, calculating how old he could be...I mean he looked like he was in his late 20s but he couldn't have been 17 and did a year in service, he'd need parental permission. I'd have heard the rumours by now that he was repeating several grades or that he was the only 25 year old in our high school and so far it was just that all the Cullens were doing exceedingly well in classes. That didn't make a single bit of sense, even by my standards.

"I mean, I heard it was rough from...friends." Jasper was back tracking, that heavy feeling of deception settled back over me as I raised a brow. I was suspicious. He knew I was, holding my eyes for a second before his darted off to the side again. I swear he was the slightest bit panicked before he spoke up and he was _lying._ But what could he possible lie about? That he was actually much older and he was repeating high school?

"Right." I nodded, thinking more so than actually paying attention to the oddball in front of me. That idea didn't feel far off, actually. I'd understand it if it was true, and it kinda felt right that he was older than 17.

"Hiya, Angela." I could feel her eyes searching over my back and the hesitance that seemed to just fall from her in waves when Jasper came into the picture. Oh, right. She liked him, shit. Okay! No more flirting!

"Hey." She was quiet when I turned my head to spot her over my shoulder, I gave her a smile. I was trying to be comforting but everything was...everything wasn't right. I was still missing something but I was electing to focus on my one true friend instead of letting my thoughts run away again.

"This is Jasper." I motioned to the guy across the table that was suddenly silent, "Jasper, this is Angela." At least I introduced them, right? That was something.

"N-nice to meet you." Angela mumbled to us as she pulled back a chair to take a seat next to me after she'd sat her tray down. I felt eyes on my back again and had a sinking feeling that it wasn't just the Cullen's anymore. Jessica and Lauren were totally going to try and interrogate me after this.

* * *

There was no Jasper in my English class after the slightly awkward lunch we'd shared. As soon as Angela sat down, he was even more withdrawn than I'd ever felt before, only answering when spoken to directly. It'd felt like he wanted to run as far away as he could when she appeared and I summed that up to nerves. Maybe despite all the blitz and glamour he portrayed, he was actually shy?

I wonder why he was never shy around me...or was he? I mean the guy had showed up to my house before I'd even met him, that probably threw him for a loop. Especially if he met my mom first, she had quite the eccentric character if you didn't take the time to get to know her. Actually she was just ecc-

I stopped in front of my house, staring at the silver car in the driveway. Who the hell was here? My brain went into over drive as I tried to figure out why there'd be a car parked in front of our house when it dawned on me. Stupid. We were having guests stay here this week, terrific, more people I had to deal with.

It'll be fine, they were just guests. It was probably some older couple from Port Angeles that wanted to get away to some where quiet for their vacation. That was the usual type for our town, though one time we'd had a wedding and the betrothed were in their early 30s.

"Hi!" I shouted into the house as I entered, turning to close the door behind me. The house felt crowded as soon as I stepped in, making me frown. It always felt crowded in here when it was more than just my mom and I.

"Oh, thats my daughter. We're in the kitchen!" I could hear the familiar voice of my mom speaking to someone else before she spoke a little louder for me. I took off my shoes next to the door thanks to the mud caked on the bottoms of them before I headed off to the kitchen with my bag hiked over my shoulder. I needed to catch up on my school work from Friday.

"Naoma..." I glanced around the kitchen to see a man, woman, and a guy that seemed to be a little older than me before I focused back on my mom. "These are the Rowlands and their son, Thomas." She motioned to the family across from her with a smile.

"Its lovely to meet you." I forced a pleasant enough smile onto my face as I bobbed my head up and down at them. I really just wanted to go to my room and be left alone for a little while to recharge my mental batteries before dinner.

They smiled back, but I noticed the son's eyes darting around my person before he settled on my face. He was searching for something, but I had no idea what that was. He was...kinda cute actually. He wasn't very muscular or anything but his face was pleasant enough with round brown eyes and jet black hair that had been brushed over to the side of his face haphazardly. He might do well with a hair cut though.


	10. Chapter 10

Mate. Ma-te...what sense of the word could it mean? It could mean...friend. A bud you hung around when things were slow or you felt low, someone you could depend on. Or it could become a contraction, as 'soul-mate' but...what did soul-mate really mean?

"What would you define Soul-mate as?" I was speaking to air this morning since my mother was in town to grab our guest's some breakfast and everyone was asleep in the Gray House. Sometimes it helped me to speak aloud, it was like when I wrote my thoughts down into an essay.

"Probably someone you were meant to spend the rest of your life with?"

"Holy fuck!" I gasped, my hand flung a piece of toast into the air of it's own accord at the fact that my question had been answered. My eyes darted up to the sound with terror and confusion, how the holy hell did he sneak up on me like that?

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry." I slapped a hand over my mouth at the expletive I'd just let fly in front of a guest, but he didn't seem to be upset. If anything, he was amused as he shrugged through a sip of his coffee.

"Its all good." He set his coffee down, leaning over to pick up the toast turned projectile off the floor before he stood again. I took him in warily, noting the controlled chaos of his hair and the way his eyes crinkled of their own accord as he yawned. Again, he struck me as easy on the eyes but I couldn't get a read on him. He was...blank.

"Thanks." I mumbled as I took the piece of bread and spun around to drop it into the trash. I checked my phone for the time and decided I didn't have enough to actually make another piece or even get some water. I didn't drink coffee in the mornings, neither did my mother. It was something about the caffeine that messed with us. One gray woman on coffee was chaos, two was a full on threat to society as we know it.

"I've gotta go." I sighed as I stood from my place, I needed to get dressed soon and it looked like this morning was going to be a rough one just from how it'd started out. I needed to sleep more...Maybe a bike would be a good investment? It'd save me some of the time it took to walk to school.

"Uh...its only 7 am. Does your school start super early?" I paused at that, considering what I should actually say to the stranger that was currently in my kitchen while I stood there in a tank top and a booty shorts.

This wasn't how I wanted to start my day, ya know? I was thinking I'd day dream a bit, maybe grab some toast, waddle my way to high school and chill out. But no. Not today. I'm starting to seriously wonder _when_ I'd have a day go as planned, everything was fine last week, before the Cullens got here...before they got here. Interesting.

"OH! Uhm...no. Its just going to rain and I walk to school." I mumbled, glancing at the window where it wasn't even light out yet. I needed to focus on my environments better, I kept spacing out.

"I can give you a ride? I've gotta head to town anyways." His offer was something that I hadn't hoped for but once I considered it, I loved it but it was sketchy.

"How old are you...Tommy?" I tilted my head, grasping at a name when I stared into his eyes. He'd been introduced yesterday but I'd skipped dinner in lieu of finishing overdue homework, something that my mom was okay with. So I was playing catch-up here, which normally I was good at.

"You know, I haven't been called that since I was 10. I'm 20." He stared back for a moment before he laughed a little and took another sip of his coffee. Was his name Thomas? Why did it feel like it'd been Tommy? He had the opposite feeling of the Cullens, where they were chaotic and fast, he was slow and almost...blank to me when I tried to search for his intentions, or feelings, like literally anything at all.

"Promise not to kidnap me?" I raised a brow as I tried to crack a joke. Ironically, my alarm bells for danger were entirely silent with this guy. When I'd gotten into the same vicinity as Jasper they wouldn't shut up and that was a guy that I knew from high school, one that my own mother had met and liked well enough.

"Scout's honour." He nodded before he stood with his coffee, I took that as a motion to go upstairs and I did so with the feeling of his eyes on my back. He felt not blank but...fuzzy. Like he was hard to read some how, I don't think thats even possible. Is it? Can people block me? But they'd have to know in order to do that, right?

"See you in 30?" He raised a brow in a lowered voice as I nodded, not really considering the man in front of me as much as I was considering what homework I had done. I shivered, why did I feel cold all of a sudden? Maybe I'm sick. It'd explain the sudden chaos of my mind right now.

I turned quickly, almost skipping into my room as I dove into the closet for a sweater. I felt the cold that kept pushing it's way in and frowned to myself as I pulled out a pair of jeans too. Sliding those on, I considered just laying back down on my bed and going back to sleep but decided against it to just pull the covers up higher on me.

Laying there allowed my mind to just sort of melt away until the cold feeling left, getting farther and farther away from me until I heard a knock on the door. Right! I still have to go to school. Lovely.

"Ready?" My eyes swept up and down Thomas's figure to take in the darker jeans, and big fleece jacket that seemed to have a t-shirt underneath.

"Yeah." I nodded, grabbing my backpack He was casual, more so than Jasper ever could be...did I just seriously compare those two?

I unlocked the front door and stepped outside, waiting for him to do the same before I locked it behind us. I need to get a grip. Just because these were like the only males in my life didn't mean they were suddenly in competition. Why would they be?

"So you'll have to give me directions, if thats cool." He was friendly enough when we both got into his car, making me want to blush at the fact that I was in a car with a 20 year old guy that wasn't treating me like a child. He was almost four years my senior, and he wasn't being an outright dick! The wonders of graduating high-school seemed to be at work in full swing here!

"I kinda figured you wouldn't suddenly know all the directions." I snorted, clicking my seat belt into place after I'd sat my backpack in front of me and the door shut. I frowned to myself for a second as I realised I felt almost...blind? Deaf?

"Thats fair." He laughed lightly, more alert than most people I knew on vacation at almost 8 in the morning. I can't be either, I could see and hear fine.

"So how old are you...Naoma?" He seemed to struggle with my name for a second, making me smile to myself as I stared out the window.

"You can just call me Naomi, you know. I'm 16, going on 17 in a week or two." I shrugged, forcing a look of seriousness as I focused back on the road. It hadn't started raining yet but it would soon...maybe a few more minutes.

"Oh, thats cool. I just turned 20, actually." He nodded, as I glanced over at him. So, he was only three years older than me. Normally age gaps like that weren't so weird for a conversation but it got really strange when one of you was under 18.

"Oh?" Curiosity was going to get me smacked in the face one day, I swear. Well maybe not smacked but possibly hung in the the town square, and then what was I going to do? I just wanted to know more about him, I have a right considering hes sleeping maybe 10 feet away from me.

"Yeah, this trip was for that actually. I go to college in Seattle and its our fall break." He seemed to almost vomit a slew of information at me and I wasn't sure if that was on purpose or if he was nervous or something.

"Turn right up here." I leaned forwards, one hand on the dashboard while the other pointed at the familiar turn right.

"Doesn't look like its raining, may-" I could tell he'd nodded from the corner of my eye and almost grinned when the rain itself cut him off.

"I'm rarely wrong." I was smug with myself as his mouth closed and his brows furrowed.

"How'd you do that?" His eyes peered at me, glancing between the road and my face. Oh jeeze. Right, people couldn't usually do that. Uhm, think of something, Naomi.

"We do have weather channels here, y'know?" My shrug was robotic but he appeared to be somewhat satisfied with that answer.

"Damn...Well I'm stupid! Just ignore me." He laughed loudly, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck with one hand while he drove.

"Left and then we're right in front." I pointed again, getting a little nervous that I'd be late by now...wait, he said he needed to go back into town right?

"By the way," He began when we came to a stop in front of the high school's sign.

"Its just down the street and then a left. You'll be in the center of town!" I bobbed my head up and down rapidly, trying to hurry up and grab my bag while I popped the seat belt out of place.

"Thanks for the ride!" I shouted back at the guy while I closed the door. I wasn't paying to much attention but he seemed happy enough with that answer because all he said afterwards was a "Thanks."

"Hi Alice!" I called to the small girl whose mouth had been opened but then shut with a miffed expression, like she'd wanted to beat me to something but it didn't happen...now that I think of it, have I even ever actually met the girl? Wait, I hav-! No. Not officially anyways.

"Jasper!" I nodded to him while I practically dashed past the Cullens in my hurry to get to my locker. I glanced at him for maybe a second but his pinched expression came across all the same.

"Angie." I was huffing by the time I greeted the quieter girl standing by my locker. She looked excited more so than I was.

"Oh my god, Jasper Hale is coming down the hallway!" She was squeaking while I struggled to breath and coordinate my hands well enough to open my locker. I hadn't realised how slow Thomas drove until right about now.

"Thats terrific, Ange." I nodded to her, not really listening to what she was saying. I was too focused on grabbing books at random, hoping I'd have the right one in a panic-actually.

"Hes so cute." She was mumbling to herself again as a wave of cold and calm passed over me, I stared at the back of my locker in confusion. Bells ringing in my head that something was off again. I should be freaking out, I had a feeling I was late and here I was. Just freaking staring at the back of a locker.

"I've...gotta go Ange." I blurted out, slamming my locker shut with enough force to startle her and snap me back into the present. It'd been like a drug in my system somehow, the calm had come in unannounced and faded out as soon as I found enough will to focus on it.

"Bye!" I shouted as I ran past her in a full out jog, the bell rang above my head with a shrill sound that felt like it shook all my fillings loose.

I struggled to breath but felt some relief when I finally got into my Math class, but my relief didn't last all that long. The class had already begun, leaving me the main attraction as silence rolled on and everyone's eyes turned to stare at the late person. This is what I was afraid of, like exactly this scenario.

"Sorry." I cleared my throat awkwardly and took a seat in the back, flipping open my notebook after I'd grabbed it.

"Now then..." I focused in on the teacher, Miss Read at the front of the classroom as she continued her lesson after a dirty look thrown my way.

I hate it when teachers used social pressure to shame you.

* * *

I know this is going to sound crazy paranoid but I swear to god that the Cullens were gossiping about me during lunch. It was the way they'd all glance at me then say something, and I get freaked out then they wouldn't stare at me at all until the next five minutes.

I almost pounced on Jasper when he sat down next to me in history...almost.

"Naomi." He bowed his head, accent coming in a little thick with his shoulders tense. His expression was just as pinched as before and I had no idea what to do about that.

"You okay?" I raised a brow, ignoring the habit we'd developed in lieu of checking on him.

"Terrific," He nearly grunted, leaning a little closer to me as he eyed me. My brow stayed raised as his eyes darted about my figure. "I saw you got a ride to school."

"Yeah...He was fun. Scared the shit out of me this morning." I nodded, snorting a bit. It was funny now but in the moment, it was terrifying.

"Oh? He looked a little old for ya." His head tilted, the accent got a little thick as I furrowed my brow. There was that feeling again...but _what_ was it? It was like a mixture of...of something.

"Naomi?" I blinked as I realised I hadn't actually answered him and shrugged.

"Hes 20, but either way, hes off-limits." I chuckled, turning to face my notebook again and glance over my notes.

"What makes a guy _not_ off-limits for you then?" It felt like he was teasing me again, looking for me to say something so he wouldn't have to continue this on but I was mainly just distracted. Well, I was distracted by trying to not blush at him.

"Are you interested in applying for the position?" I tried injecting humour considering how quickly he was getting deep with me. He did this a lot, I'd noticed, the whole going from joking to sudden life or death vibes.

It was ever so slightly uncomfortable, not because of him though I noticed he kept inhaling deeply which was a touch bizarre. It was more that I felt...okay with it. Like I wouldn't mind him being around for forever, but I wanted to get to know him more. I wanted to figure out what made him tick.

"I think it's a little early to apply." He raised a brow. He seemed apprehensive though interested nonetheless.

"How so?" I eyed him, considering if I'd some how misinterpreted him up till now.

"Well...haven't taken you to dinner yet, have I, Darlin'?" My body almost backed away of it's own accord when he leaned down a little farther, I stared into his eyes for a good 30 seconds before I realised they were bright gold once more.

"Your eyes..." I frowned as I stopped.

"Yeah?"

"They're uh, unique." I swallowed, turning away from him to stare at the board once more. It felt frustrating right now, me dancing around his assortment of oddities but that was just my nature. If I chased after every odd thing I'd ever seen or heard, I'd know almost every secret this town could offer.


End file.
